Grand Intentions
by Dementia Asumi
Summary: A young woman embarking on a secondary pokemon journey, almost unwillingly. Along the way, making friends and meeting a very handsome love interest
1. Prelude

Bouncing and shaking, being tossed from one side of the moving truck to the other, Keran grit her teeth. It shouldn't have been too much longer until this horrible thing stopped and she would be at her new home. Her family had been here for ages, but she was coming over now at the urging of her father. Apparently someone he knew desperately wanted to meet her and who was she to say no?

With a quiet sigh she attempted to look down at the little screen in her hand. The local pokemon professor had sent her a video message and she had nothing else to look at. Okay, so it was Professor Birch. She could live with that. Wasn't too far off from Professor Elm. Another tree, which was easy enough. The silver haired woman started chewing the inside of her lip, listening to Birch's words. It was mostly the same thing that was sent out to every trainer in the area. A quick introduction to the pokemon of the region, himself, and all that fun stuff. What hers did include that others wouldn't, was a phone number and a request to stop by the lab as soon as she was settled in. Probably because she was 'moving in' next door to him.

The second the truck stopped, Keran was thrust forward, pushing her into a stack of boxes intended to break any falls like this. Seriously, she was going to have to talk to whoever was driving this thing, this ride was ridiculous. The large door started sliding up as she righted herself. A cheery face, a very familiar one at that, greeted her from the near blinding light outside of the truck.

"Keran! You finally made it! Why in the world would you ride in the back of a moving truck all the way here? Come in, come in!" Her mother urged, worried about the daughter that had far too much of a sense of independence. If only the girl would rely on others more. It wasn't like there weren't tons of people willing to help her.

Ker plastered a smile on her face, pretending that this was exactly what she wanted. "It was the only way I could make sure everything got here in one piece Mom!" She shook her head, still displaying the fake smile. She'd spent so many years perfecting it, she was almost positive no one could tell the difference any more. "Do you know where Professor Birch is?" She asked, goal oriented. She wanted to get everything over with before she bothered trying to settle into a home she didn't plan on staying in. Mostly, she wanted to get to a pc and withdraw her pokemon to be alongside her. It had been a horrible trip without them.

"He's just outside of town doing some research. The movers arrived just a few minutes ago. Let's get your things inside and maybe a lunch?" Her mother offered, trying to spend just a few minutes with her daughter before she rushed off.

"Alright." Ker agreed, finally hopping out of the back of the truck. This was going to be a long day. Maybe two. She stretched, tiny shirt raising just enough to bare a little of a fairly pale stomach. As soon as her mother spotted her attire, a look of disapproval crossed her face. Ker didn't particularly care what the older woman thought, but didn't make an effort to make it worse.

"Mmmmn!" She sniffed the air, trying not to make this any worse on herself than it was going to be. Nice to the mother, she did give birth to her after all. "You made pie? Smells delicious~" Ker's stomach growled in unison. Okay, no matter how much she disliked her family, her mother could cook.

"Pecha Berry. Your favorite" Aniise grinned, hoping to please her daughter as much as possible. She loved the girl. So much. Even when the feeling wasn't returned.

Several hours passed, and a couple of pies devoured. Two women had watched a couple of very muscled machamps move a bunch of heavy boxes around their shared home, and even help unpack the heavier things.

"Okay, I think we've spent enough time catching up. I really need to find Professor Birch and get to a pokecenter. I miss my pokemon." Ker threw in the towel. She had the required machines to speak with her pokemon and even bring them to her, but there wasn't a huge chance of her staying here long enough to set them up, use them, or even maintain them. It would just be a lot easier to use the ones at the pokecenter. They were the most up to date ones anyways. Hers were… Sorely lacking. Ker silenced any protests from her mother with a glance. Sharp green eyes returned from their near glare to look at the front door. It wasn't the first time she'd turned her gaze to that fateful door. The wonders it held, just past it. Mostly, it held her precious pokemon.

"Okay, okay. I know I can't keep you any longer. Just make sure you swing by next door and say hello to Professor Birch's son. He's about the same age as you, I think you'd like him" Aniise asked, trying to hopefully pair her daughter with a nice young man. She really wish the girl would just settle down already. It wasn't like anyone was getting any younger, and she wanted to see grandchildren soon!

"Yeah, sure whatever Mom." She waved it off, figuring it was late enough she would have to go to his house anyway. Two birds, one stone. Keran twisted the knob, pulling the door open at the same time. "See you… Well who knows. See you later." She promised, not really planning on coming back while her mother was awake.

The trip to their neighbor's was short. Insanely so. Ker, so used to running everywhere, barely managed three strides between her newest home and the home directly next to them. Yeaaaaaah, she wasn't staying in this tiny town. They didn't even have a pokecenter! She knocked on their front door, plastering on the same friendly smile she used for her mother. Once the door opened, Ker raised a hand to her face and wiggled her fingers. "Hi Mrs. Birch, I'm Keran. I just moved in next door, I'm sure my mother has told you all about it by now." She introduced herself. She had been too many places, met too many people, to not be wary of anyone offering their hand to shake. "I'm looking for your son and husband?"

A smile was returned, as the older woman directed Keran up the stairs. Apparently Professor Birch was still out. Maybe he'd be back later or Brendan would know. Keran thanked her hostess, proceeding up the steps to meet this fellow her mother was so keen for her to meet. Probably another obsessed pokemon trainer that wanted nothing more than to be the best. Ugh. She'd met too many of them in Johto. She knocked gently on the door frame, announcing her arrival.

A brown haired boy, obviously distracted mumbled about something before realizing he wasn't alone. "Pokémon fully restored… Items all packed, and…" He turned around, "Y-you… Who are you?" He paused, letting her supply her name, "Keran? Oh, you're the new person who just moved in next door?! Huh… I didn't know that you'd be a girl. Dad — I mean, Professor Birch—told me you were the kid of a Gym Leader, and I sort of hoped you'd be a guy. My name's Brendan. Well, I guess we are still neighbors, so… Nice to meet you! Let's be friends, OK? Huh? Hey, Keran… Don't you have any Pokémon? If you want, I can go catch you one. Aw, wait, I forgot… I'm supposed to be going out to help my dad catch some wild Pokémon. Some other time, OK?" Ker was baffled by the entire thing. Didn't he know she had gone toe to toe with the champion in Johto? Was she not that famous out here? And he had just ran past her like she wasn't really standing there. Arceus, was this guy completely daft? Ker shook her head, and followed his steps right out the door.

A short while later, Keran was wandering the streets of the new city, just looking around. Something told her she'd not regret it. As luck would have it, a little girl came rushing up to her saying she heard someone screaming just outside the town. Without hesitation, Keran put her long legs to use, rushing to where the girl had said the screams were coming from. And sure enough, there was someone rushing out of the grass, being chased by an irritated pokemon. She face palmed a little, unable to believe someone could get so easily scared by such a small pokemon.

"HELP! Please help! I've got some pokeballs in that bag right there, please please stop this pokemon!" He hollered, adding to the irritated pokemon's plight. Ker chuckled, picking up the first pokeball her fingers touched. Felt warm, must be fire type. With a practiced throw, Ker released the pokemon inside and began a battle she wasn't expecting to partake in.

"Use Tackle!" She spoke, having never seen a pokemon like this in her life. Who knew what moves it knew, and even more, who knew how well it was going to listen to her. The fluffy red and orange bird looked at the human ordering it around, squeaked, and complied. This human was strong. "Good, dodge, use Ember." Ker ordered again, wincing when the little bird pokemon didn't dodge. Maybe she was just used to how agile her pikachu was. Little mouse never took a hit.

With the little bird thing fighting almost admirably, Ker turned her attention to the scared person that called for her to help. It was none other than the professor. Brilliant. "Hold off, that's enough." She called to the bird pokemon. The attacking pokemon, a grey and black dog, was whimpering. Tail tucked between it's legs, and clearly ready to be done with everything today. Ker was all too happy to let it go. She'd no interest in catching anything today. "Return Fireball." She nodded to the pokemon, holding out it's pokeball. A familiar and comforting sound, a pokemon returning or exiting it's ball. She let a small sigh of relaxation escape her, habitually tucking the ball into the notch on her belt. It wasn't enough, but it was a small comfort.

"Are you okay Professor?" She asked, picking up the dropped bag and offering it to him. He smiled wide, nodding. Of course he was fine. "Lets go back to your lab and get you some water or something?" Ker offered, putting a hand on his back while pulling his arm over her shoulders.

A short walk later, they had managed to get safely inside Professor Birch's lab, and a pot of water for tea on the stove. "So, this little guy is named Torchic?" She received a nod, confirming what he'd just said only a moment before. "Seems like a nice pokemon. Very strong." She pat the the pokeball on her belt, reminding herself it wouldn't be long before her own pokemon would be returned to her. "Any chance I can train him?" Birch just chuckled. He was about to answer when the kettle started to whistle. Ker stood, turning the stove off and grabbing it. He was trying to recover from a serious embarrassment. She wouldn't let him up if his life depended on it. That aside, she was asking him for a favor.

"Please do. I'm sure he'll be a lot happier with you than he would be with me. Your father actually asked me to help you with anything you wanted." Birch was still grinning, watching the young woman move. She was tall, pale, and a beauty. If he wasn't happily married, she was the exact kind of woman he'd have gone after in his younger days.

"Thank you Professor." She handed him a steaming cup. "I didn't mean to come here for pokemon. I actually meant to ask if you could show me how to transfer my pokemon from Johto over to here. I understand it's a rather large undertaking." Ker settled down in the chair across from him.

"Aaaah, I thought you might ask me about that. And I have bad news for you Keran. I can't do anything to help you there, but I know who can." He offered, grey eyes following her fluid movements. "There's a young woman just outside of Fallarbor Town. Her name is Lanette, and she is the only name when it comes to storing pokemon for any reason. She should be more than capable of helping you transfer your pokemon over. I'm sure it's very uncomfortable without them." He offered, gently blowing on the tea she'd provided him with. Taking a sip of the still scalding hot drink, he looked up from the tea to her. "Keep the torchic, I'll upgrade your pokedex for this region. Brendan will help you with anything you can use him for." Birch smiled again, "Just please do me a favor."

Ker raised an eyebrow, looking at the professor. He knew exactly how skilled of a trainer she was. He also knew she didn't truly need a hand with anything. "Thank you again Professor." She smiled, still eyeing him. What could he possibly want with her?

"Brendan wants to fancy you as his rival." Birch's grin shifted into a wide smile. "He has the potential to be as great as you already are. Could you play along and help him improve himself and his team?"

Aaaah. There it was. A fairly reasonable request. It appeared that Professor Birch knew her better than she realized. "Of course Professor. I couldn't possibly be a part of the elite four without offering any assistance to trainers just starting out." She'd been offered the position when she'd come so close to beating the champion. So so close. If only Pikachu hadn't lost her nerve when she went up against their friends. Of course, it was still under wraps that she had joined the elite trainers of her home region. No one else knew of her accomplishment. Not even her family.

"You took the job then?" Birch asked, receiving a nod in return. "Good good. You make a fine leader for the young and new." She snorted with laughter, clearly not believing him. "Either way, our secret yes? If you get a call asking for your presence or attention, call me. I'll arrange you a 'research trip' to return." The professor offered. She was an important trainer, he felt the urge to do everything he could to help her.

"Thank you Professor." she tilted her head his direction, smiling. She had taken the job only under the condition that she was allowed to go off and have a vacation immediately after the failure at the league. Her duties were limited anyway, being the newest member they didn't feel the need to burden her with a lot. "I think that about takes care of our business. Thank you for your help, again." Ker gently set her cup down, standing. Birch offered her a dazzling smile, clearly happy to be of any kind of assistance, and she returned it with a kiss to his cheek. "Don't listen to my mother, she's a nut job." She said, just as cheery as she had been only moments prior.


	2. Chapter 1

Keran returned home late that night. Fully having missed her mother, the exact way she'd planned. It was with a grin that she slunk her way into her temporary room. A chime sounded from a phone that had been all but forgotten. Almost confused, she looked at the device and realized she didn't recognize the number. It wasn't from the league, so it wasn't important. At least, not enough to keep her awake that night. The pasty woman rolled her shoulder a bit, stretching her body and muscles before dropping her very short shorts to the floor. The next morning would be there soon enough and she'd want all the rest she could before taking off.

It wasn't a long night. Four hours tops. Keran was already wide awake and packing. The distance between Littleroot and Oldale Town wasn't that great, but she'd be moving constantly until she got to Fallarbor. Supplies were required, and this little torchic was in desperate need of training.

Finally ready for the second journey, Keran stepped one smartly shoed foot downstairs. It only took one look for her mother to know what was happening. Silently, she picked up the bag that was sitting for her on the table and walked to the door. "See you later." Ker mumbled, waving with her free hand. And with that, Ker had said her goodbyes and set out. The pale woman stepped into the sunlight, slinging a backpack onto her shoulders.

"Alright, time to get this party on the road. The sooner we get to Lanette, the sooner we can get the rest of the team back together." She spoke to herself. Her feet found the path they'd taken the day before, leading her out of town and towards her first stop. Oldale Town. The actual new trainer, Brendan, was supposedly collecting data from the nearby area. It would be the perfect opportunity to train up the little fire type at her hip and teach him how to battle.

A grim smile spread across her cheeks, letting the torchic loose. "Okay little guy. First thing's first. You need a name." Keran spoke to the pokemon. It chirped at her happily. "How about… Gerttie?" She joked, watching the pokemon reject the name. "Hmmm… Well, are you a boy or a girl?" Ker asked, being completely serious. "One chirp for girl, two for boy." The torchic responded with two chirps. Most pokemon professors had were boys. She still had to figure that one out. But then, that might have been why she wasn't a professor. Didn't really want to or need to know. "Blaze?" Keran offered, a real smile appearing on her face as the newly named pokemon gave his seal of approval.

"So, you have a name, I have a faux rival, and we have an adventure. And a father to go visit. Off we go Blaze." She tried not to groan, coaxing the little fireball up to her shoulder. Keran had no immediate plans to put him into his ball. He could ride along outside until he was big enough to walk along her. He was going to get a good deal bigger than her eventually.

The trip to Oldale town was fairly uneventful. They rousted a few poocheyna and zigzagoon from their home. Even managed to spot a seedot. A few pokemon she'd seen before, from other trainers, or even just running wild. She hadn't exactly bothered to catch every pokemon she spotted. Really it was just the ones that wanted to join her on her journey.

They made amazing time. They were in Oldale town in almost no time at all. It may have been because of Keran's running habit, or the fact that there was almost no space between Littleroot and Oldale. The place was so small, she could see almost from one end to another. With a sigh, Keran turned her brilliant green eyes to the nearest pokecenter. The place she thought all her problems would've been solved. Turns out it was just a traitor of false hope. If Blaze didn't need a quick check up, she wouldn't have stopped in. As it were, Blaze was looking a little worse for wear, and she was more of a breeder than a healer.

"Nurse Joy, my torchic needs a checkup." She called, seeing no one in the lobby. At least, no one that was being helped. There were always a couple of trainers hanging out at centers. They did provide free boarding when it was needed, and pretty much anything else a trainer might need in their journeys. She'd spent more than her fair share of nights on a cot provided by a nurse Joy. Keran snapped out of the train of thought, gently setting the pokemon on the counter and fishing his ball off her waist. The nurse took him for a moment, looking the little guy over. She smiled and returned him healed up.

"Thank you Nurse Joy." Ker took the strong little ball of fire off the counter and headed out the door. It was time to find her fake rival. The whole reason she was really even taking it slowly. North first, he might have taken off onto the trails between cities to study.

Not three steps towards her destination, a clerk came up to her practically throwing potions at her. With a grimace, she took them and tucked them into the pack that would carry her pokemon related items. Thank goodness for infinite storage in PCs. "Thank you…" She offered, not really meaning it. Mostly she just wanted the guy gone. She needed to get on with her trip, and seriously, she needed to get to Fallarbor and meet up with Lanette.

Finally free of the troublesome clerk, Keran made her way north, onto route 103. Sure enough, there he was, just a little way into the path. Well, far enough into it she'd almost lost the view of Oldale, not that she was complaining. It was a dinky little city and she'd much rather not linger anywhere too long. "Hey Brendan." She called, waving to him. "Want to battle?" Ker asked, smirking. She didn't really mean the expression, mostly certain she was going to whip his butt. The short time she'd spent with Blaze they had been training and been getting used to one another.

"Oh yeah! I'll teach you what being a trainer is all about!" He was super excited. Little did he know Ker and Blaze were almost on a completely different level. That didn't matter though, he was just thrilled to have an honest battle with what he believed to be a new trainer! He could go all out with his pokemon, and this would be so much fun!

"Sure sure~ Bring it on Brendan" She teased, setting Blaze on the ground. Two days in her care and he was already super spoiled. Blaze needed no prompting the second Brendan's mudkip was released. They'd spent enough time fighting already, he knew what to do. Ember, ember ember! "Wait, wait Blaze. That's a water type, your fire won't work." She carefully scolded him. He knew well enough to attack everything with all he had, but it wasn't the best course of action. And that was it. Blaze took the battle like it was cake, and crying out triumphantly.

"So… How was it for you?" Ker grinned, shoving her hands in the small pockets on her hips. Nothing said laid back like not really paying attention to the battle that had just taken place. No matter how she looked at it, Brendan had potential, just not the same kind she had. Maybe there was a good chance she could make a run for champion out here? Naaaaaah. Let Brendan have that chance.

"Wow Keran! You're a lot better than I thought!" He beamed. "I can see why my dad was excited to meet you! And your torchic, it already adores you! I feel like you could make friends with any pokemon with ease~" He spilled, seemingly thrilled to have the encounter.

"Thanks Brendan." She blushed a little, rubbing the back of her neck. He was really almost cute when he gushed like that. Almost. The boy was still just a bit too young for her tastes. "Are you headed back to talk to your father?" Ker asked, planning on getting out of this tiny little place as quickly as possible.

"Yeah, he wanted me to report in before I left on my journey. Are you going to Petalburg?" He returned fire, looking hopefully at her.

"Petalburg is on my way. I'm going out to Fallarbor to speak with someone out there. I guess I need to talk to my father while I'm in the area." She shrugged, the air of nonchalance resuming around her. She really didn't want to travel with someone, but it didn't look like she was going to have much of a choice if she didn't shake him now.

"O-oh." He blinked, surprised. He hadn't expected her to know her way around already. But then, she was a killer trainer, so it only made sense, right? "Wanna walk back to Littleroot with me?" Brendan asked, hopeful.

Ker shook her head. "I need to get moving. Tell your dad hi for me, k?" Instant rejection. She really didn't want to travel with him. Maybe there was someone else she could walk with, but not Brendan. No way she was going to dampen his intended rivalry with her by traveling together. He'd progress much more without her beside him the entire time. "I'm off to… Whatever town is after this one." She shook her head, emphasizing her lack of interest.

"Oh.. Okay." Dejected, he shoved his hands into his own pockets, and kicked at the ground. "I'll see you later?" Even with her instant rejection, he sounded a bit hopeful. Maybe there was a chance they could meet up after his business was finished at home?

"Mmm.. Sure. I'll see you around later" Again, that fake smile was plastered on her face. Her attempt to look cheery and upbeat. Ker waved, turning and walking away. Brendan had stood there for a moment, appearing to hope she would change her mind. When it was obvious that wasn't happening, he ran off towards their town. Nothing she was overly concerned with. There was a pokemon attempting to pounce them that was far more distracting.

"Okay Blaze, when this pokemon comes to us we want to show it how to be part of the team. Not to knock him out. Understand?" She was careful, Blaze had a lot of potential, but if they didn't take it cautiously, he could hurt a lot of pokemon that wouldn't have the ability to get better. Best to be gentle about it all. When Blaze chirped his confirmation, both their attentions turned to the poochyena that was trying too hard to be subtle about it's approaching attack.

Blaze jumped off his perch on her shoulder, rustling through the grass that was, quite honestly, as tall as he was. In a matter of seconds, the chick pokemon was blowing a puff of fire at his opponent's bum. Spook the other pokemon! Because that's what his trainer told him to do right?! Blaze snickered, releasing a puff of fire towards the opposing pokemon. He was so distracted he didn't even notice when it came back and chomped at his leg with an ice move! An ICE move?!

Ker smacked her palm to her forehead. This hadn't gone at all like she'd planned. Oh well, that was pokemon. They didn't always listen, and even more so, they all had a mind of their own. But that new guy. "Blaze, back off. Let's see if he wants to join our team." That was a rare move wasn't it? Something she hadn't seen on a dark type before. The not so new trainer fished a spare pokeball out of her bag and held it out to the poochyena. "Want to join us?"

Looking offended, Blaze backed up. Scary lady was scary and he didn't want to make her mad. But that attack really hurt! And she was just going to catch the other pokemon? Just like that?! He was even more appalled when the new guy practically jumped into the offered pokeball. Huff. He was supposed to be her favorite.

The ball didn't even shake. The poochyena desperately wanted to be part of her team. Keran smirked, pressing the ball to her lips before tucking it into the spot riiight next to Blaze's pokeball. She'd come up with a name later. But first, they needed to get back to a pokecenter and check both pokemon out. Blaze was favoring one foot over the other, while the poochyena was fresh from the wild. It would also be a good chance to check for fleas or other pests.

It didn't take long to arrive. Mostly because they hadn't gone far before the ambush. Nurse Joy took the two possibly injured pokemon to the back to look over them, leaving Keran to wait in the lobby until they were finished. "Okay, so everyone's getting checked out. Might as well see if there's any league news…" She mumbled, finding a spare computer and logging in. There was a new video message from her commanding champion. Keran's brow wrinkled with concern, opening the message. It was odd they'd contact her so quickly.

"Keran, I know you're off traveling in another region, but we have some league business for you to take care of while you're over there. It seems there's a few groups of extremists trying to raise a legendary pokemon and destroy the world. You know, the same old stuff." There was a pause, papers shuffling around, and another paper raised to provide more information. "It's either Team Magma or Team Aqua. I don't really know which. The local champion over there would know more about it than us. He asked if we could lend a hand in the search for these groups and to root out whoever it turns out to be. I've sent over all the information we have, but you'll need to get with Devon Co. in Robostoro." Another pause, attention elsewhere for a half second. "Keep in touch." And the feed cut out.

There was clearly no arguing about this. Keran sighed. It looked like there was work already. Hadn't she told them it would be weeks before she'd be ready to do anything while she was out here? A vacation had been demanded in her acceptance of the job. Was three days considered a vacation for these people? Keran sighed a little, closing out of her league email and wondering just what she'd gotten herself into. Maybe she really didn't need the time off like she thought she would. The distraction of raising these new pokemon was something she was enjoying. And investigating this possibly world destruction was enough to keep her occupied for a while, and it was a good excuse to start a new team in the process.

It was about then Nurse Joy returned with the two pokemon she was now raising. "Thank you." She gave the nurse her best fake smile and collected her two companions. Her father's gym wasn't too far away now and it was truly time to move along.


	3. Chapter 2

It took far longer to travel between Oldale and Petalburg than it should've. So much time that Keran was rather irate by the end of the trip. Thank Arceus that they'd be coming to a halt with someone she was familiar with and wouldn't be trying to kill immediately. Namely, her father. And he did need to know of her job. Partially so she could gloat, but also because he would be truly happy for her. They could relive their glory days before she was once more forced to strike out and continue on her journey to meet with this mysterious Lanette.

What she didn't intend to get swept into, was the young man asking for her father's assistance in catching a pokemon. And her father agreeing, immediately after making eye contact with her. "Why don't you go along with my daughter here, she'll show you exactly how to catch a pokemon." Norman winked, holding out his hand for her to take the few pokeballs for the example.

"Really?! Oh my gosh, this is so awesome!" Wally squealed, hugging Norman tight before releasing him and crushing Keran with the same excited hug.

Ker winced a little, patting the rather enthusiastic young man on the head. "Sure thing." She carefully extracted herself from the green haired one's grip and took the balls from her father. "Lets go back onto the route over there, and see if there's anything you can scare up." Not what she wanted to do, but it was obvious there was nothing to be done between here and there. Norman, her father, wasn't going to see her until this kid was out of the way.

It took all of five minutes from where they were standing outside Norman's gym to be standing in the tall grass looking for a pokemon. It took way less time than that for a ralts to come up and pester Wally. "Look, it wants to battle." She offered, starting to walk him through exactly how to catch the pokemon that was looking up at him so desperately. Keran only stopped once to tell Blaze to calm down. Little chick wanted to battle just as badly as Wally wanted to catch his first pokemon. That would be taken care of quick enough. "Okay, now just toss the pokeball towards the ralts, and when it lands, it should get sucked into it." But then, he should know this part too. And he did. As soon as the ball stopped shaking, it flew back into his hand.

"Thank you so much! I'm so excited for this pokemon!" He gushed, letting his ralts out of the ball and proceeding to hug it tight. Ker winced again, this time for the sake of the poor ralts that was getting smothered in hugs. "Oh! I know, let me update your pokenav real quick! As a thank you" He grinned, finally letting the little ralts relax for a moment. Wally grabbed the pokenav that was attached to Keran's wrist and punched a few buttons and made a few beeps. Almost as quickly as he'd grabbed it, he released her hand. "There you go! I've been wanting to be a trainer so long I had a few really awesome apps installed on mine. You might like them too!" Wally grinned.

"Um.. Thank you Wally. Lets get back to the gym leader now and give him back his pokemon?" She looked rather uncomfortable. And it didn't help that he'd grabbed her without asking. At least, there were some interesting apps that she hadn't thought to download. Maybe one of them kept track of what all was packed into her traveling bags? Keran turned to walk back to where her father was waiting, hoping he'd just forced Ker into making a friend.

She walked, Wally followed. "He caught a ralts. Had no idea they were hiding in that trail over there." Ker nodded towards Wally. He was relatively lucky, having caught something she couldn't find in such a small area. How the heck a ralts hadn't come out at her, she'd never know. "And I believe this is yours."

"Thank you so much Norman! Now I'll have someone to take with me to Verandturf!" Wally was so excited.

"Any time Kiddo. Now, off you go." Norman shooed the boy. His father was waiting for him, almost impatiently. A lot of it had to do with the fact that a complete stranger had just walked off with his son, but what was Norman going to tell him? That the lady who just walked off with Wally was one of the best trainers in her native region? Yes. That exactly. And he had said just that. "Keran! How are you liking it in Hoenn?" All of his attention was on the tall young woman he was so fortunate to call his daughter.

"I'd like it a lot better if I could transfer my team over here with me. I still don't understand why I had to leave them. Are they afraid of something here?" Ker complained. She wouldn't even be on this journey if she'd been allowed to carry her team with her through customs. As it were, the pokemon she'd taken with her on her league challenge were some of the strongest she'd known. Maybe they were afraid she'd go on a rampage and destroy everything? "Lets go inside and talk. You've got some news to catch up on."

"Sounds like a plan Ker." Norman agreed, holding the gym doors open for her. He'd heard something big happened before she agreed to come to Hoenn, but he still had no clue what it was. He was just excited to see his little girl talking to him!

There was an obvious break room and rest area inside the gym, meant mostly for when Norman was waiting around for trainers to take the challenge. He was there almost constantly. He'd loose his league funding if he wasn't combat ready any time there was a chance of a gym challenge. It was there he'd managed to get Keran to sit and relax a little. Pour a couple cups of tea. "So, I'm standing there, facing against Lance, and one of his dragon pokemon managed to scare my little pikachu so badly she ran behind me and hid!" Keran threw her hands up in exasperation. "She was so scared. But at the same time, she was all that was left, and Lance's pokemon were her friends. She'd never seen them in battle before. It was terrifying. His skill… It's on a completely different level than anything I've ever seen." She continued, defending the poor pokemon to the very end.

"Lance and I called the battle off as soon as Chu hit the back of my legs. We knew it wasn't going to happen, even if Chu would've won." Keran shook her head, silvery locks falling into her eyes. "So they offered me a job. I'm a member of the elite four of Johto." She brushed the misbehaving hair out of her eyes, looking at her father, proud of her accomplishment. "Said I'd done better than any trainer they'd seen in a long time and asked if I wanted to join them. They actually have me here on league business, which is.. Interesting to say the least."

"You… What? Wow Keran.." Norman had no idea what to say. He'd always dreamed that she'd be something great, he knew she had all the potential in the world. But to see it with his own eyes, hear it himself. It was unspeakable. He'd lost all words to describe the feeling. "I had no idea they'd offer you something like that so quickly. I've been trying to become a part of the league myself for years now! Way to go you!" Norman was thrilled to death for his daughter. She deserved this honor. She worked herself ragged for it! He could still remember all the training she'd put herself through just getting ready to take her first trip out with her pokemon. The day she received her pikachu from Professor Elm… It all felt like it was just yesterday, and now here she was, a member of the elite four. He could cry it was such a huge step.

"Have you thought any about settling down once your league business is finished up here?" He asked, curious to know if there would be another generation of amazing trainers.

The silver haired woman shook her head. Dating, marriage, children, all of it seemed so… Well not her. "I don't think that's something I'm even going to have the chance to think about. As soon as I get over to Lanette to get my pokemon, I've got to get on this business matter, and who knows how long that'll take and where it'll have me going. None of the men back home are even remotely interesting." She made a face, "And that Gary Oak was a horrible decision." A brief fling with the grandson of a professor. He was so handsome, how could she have said no? But he was always talking about the size of his pokeballs, and how she couldn't handle his girth. The second that came up she was out. No way was anyone talking to her like that.

"I'm not looking to date anyone." She shrugged, not having heard the door open and swing closed.

Norman's gaze changed from looking at his daughter, to directly over her shoulder. It looked like Professor Birch's son, but he didn't know the kid all that well. But the look of hiding disappointment. Norman nodded to Ker, letting her know they weren't alone anymore.

Keran sighed a little, making an effort not to slump with the sound. It wouldn't have been polite to whoever had just joined them. Ever so slowly, her head turned to look at the new guest. Oh.. Oh dear. It was Brendan. But hadn't they just parted ways not that long ago in Oldale town? What was he doing here so soon? "Heya Brendan~" She waved, wondering just how much he'd heard. Most likely enough to cause that look of slight pain he was attempting to conceal.

"Hi Keran!" He chimed, trying not to think about what she'd just said. He'd walked in in the middle of her saying someone was a mistake. Thankfully he hadn't heard much, just enough to know he had no shot with her. "Um.. Norman, do you think I could challenge you for a badge?"

Norman raised an eyebrow, "Do you have any badges yet?" He asked. He was a strong leader, and he didn't want to crush a new trainer's dreams by not being able to get anywhere near strong enough to win a gym battle.

"N-no, not yet Sir." He winced, looking at the gym leader and his daughter. This was supposed to be easy right? Why did it feel like he was on trial?

"I'm sorry I can't accept your challenge then. Come back when you've earned 4 badges and we'll battle then." Norman offered, "Until then, would you care to join us for tea?"

Keran stood up, stretching and showing of her soon to be tanned stomach. "Excuse me, I think it's well past time for me to be moving." Sure, it was blunt and out of nowhere, but she really did need to get back on the road. The sooner she got to Lanette, the sooner she was able to get her own team back. "See you again soon Brendan." She smiled, waving to the boy. Before heading out the door, she stopped and hugged her father. "I'll visit when I've gotten where I'm going." And she turned and walked away, leaving the dejected boy and her father alone in her wake. It was past time to be going.

"Have a safe trip Keran." Norman wished his headstrong daughter. Maybe she'd actually call him, or even change her mind about dating and members of the other gender. Or maybe not. He was just proud to call such a powerful trainer his daughter.

"Hand out a few badges." She nodded, walking out the door and onto the next route. Maybe she needed to take this journey a little more seriously than she was. At least there wasn't much to do in Petalburg. Not yet anyway. If she actually took the gym challenge, she'd have to come back and battle her father someday, but today wasn't that day.

It wasn't long before she found herself on the outskirts of Petalburg, and into the tamed wilds of route 104. A whiff of salty air caught her nose, bringing attention to the beach just out of view. How could she have not noticed that in town? The ocean was so close she could literally swim in it if she'd wanted to! But then, she'd have to want to swim and get wet. Keran chewed her lip as she followed her nose to the beach. At the very least, she wanted to see the waves lapping against the shores. Maybe there'd be a water pokemon or two she could pick up. If this trip to Fallarbor was going to take her a long while she might as well have a decent team with her.

Even walking it didn't take long to reach the edge of the island, where water met sand. It was just a small beach, nothing to be overly excited about, and yet, she was thrilled to see it. Perhaps because it signaled a chance to travel to another region where she wouldn't have to deal with family she wasn't fond of. Or was it that there was a really handsome man walking past her without a shirt on? Swearing off dating or not, she could still stand back and appreciate some rippling muscles, and this guy had them in spades.

Keran shook her head, trying to clear her mind, or at least take her eyes off the icy haired man. Nope, apparently not working. All she could think about was how well toned the muscles of his slim build were, how fluid his movements were, almost like it was an extremely well choreographed dance. Rather than chewing her lip, she was biting it now. Her not so vivid imagination going wild with thoughts she'd rather die than admit to having. But then, maybe it was for the best. He was wading back into the water and out of her sights.

And just like that he was gone. Under the water, doing something else, and her mind was free for the moment. Arceus, what a body that man had. She grinned to herself, finally forcing her legs to move. How lucky she had been to spot someone like him just walking along the beach. While her eyes were free to look where she was going, her mind kept going back to him. It would pass, quickly, like all the rest of the handsome men she'd met. But it would take her attention away long enough to pass by a house with a man and his wingull staring at her knowingly. She'd not even noticed walking past it. A shame really, she'd have loved to stop in and see if the older gentleman knew anything about the forest behind his house...


	4. Chapter 3

AN: In case anyone is wondering at this point, for the most part I'm basing this off one of my own runs through Omega Ruby. Obviously a few things are changed for the sake of the story, but for the most part everything is the same. Anyone care to guess what generation she alludes to coming from?

~~ Chapter 3 ~~

She'd finally managed to shake the man out of her head as she walked through the woods. Mostly in that there were pokemon for Blaze to train himself against. A couple would join her team, but there weren't many that wanted to get out and start the rigorous training she offered. Admittedly, she couldn't blame any of them. It was tough trying to be a strong member of her team, and she didn't make it any easier by constantly making sure they were up to snuff. By the time she bumped into the scientist looking for a shroomish, most of the few pokemon that had joined her team were wiping everything in the area out with one hit.

"Excuse me." He mumbled, taking a step back. Really, it hadn't been her fault, he was just being polite. "Oh! You're a strong trainer, have you seen this pokemon?" He held out a picture of a shroomish. "I just think shroomish is such an amazing pokemon, it's so cute, a-" He was interrupted by some punk in a red suit coming up to them.

"Good Arceus Old Man, I was waiting to ambush you and you took so long looking for a shroomish!" The punk huffed. "Now hand over the goods man" He demanded of the terrified scientist.

The scientist, being shocked into his current emotional state, shimmied behind Keran, hoping that she'd keep him safe. "I-I have no idea what you're talking about!" He whimpered, only peeking out from behind her shoulder to see if his response would send the punk away. He squeaked in fear when the punk only moved closer.

Keran bit back a sigh. This was ridiculous. But the guy behind her was scared and that meant she should probably chase this guy away. Plus there was that league thing, something about red or blue outfits. "Hey, are you trying to rob this guy?" She bristled, taking a step towards the goon in red. "And what's with the goofy red jammies?" Ker questioned, unable to believe what some people would wear in public. Not that she was one to talk, she barely had on anything herself, but that didn't change the fact that this guy was wearing his pyjamas to rob someone in.

"Yeah, whats it to ya?!" He challenged, "I'm a proud member of Team Magma! And we need the stuff from Devon Corp. to further our goals!" The grunt boasted, reaching back to grab the pokeball he had with him. It was only one pokemon, but it would surely be enough to deal with these losers.

Keran raised an eyebrow. The brat just gave away all that information without realizing it. At least it told her who she was supposed to be looking out for. "Blaze, use Flame Charge." She instructed the pokemon that'd been hiding just behind the scientist. The little torchic had evolved. Keran was now teaching a Combusken how to be the strongest pokemon it could be. Blaze narrowed his eyes and charged at the opposing pokemon. Just a wee little Poochyena. "Don't kill it, just knock it out." She called, reminding him to be gentle. Teaching him how to use his flames in a completely different manner was a great idea, just not the best when he was still learning how strong he actually was now that he had a pair of hands.

"What the hell?!" The grunt grunted, calling his faithful pokemon back. There was no way this pasty chick could have fended him off like that! She had to have been cheating! "Tch. You're not worth the effort. We're after something big in Rustboro anyway." He huffed, turning tail and running.

Keran sighed, patting Blaze on the head. He'd done very well for himself, and they had succeeded in keeping the sniveling scientist safe for a few moments. Something told her this kind of thing happened to him a lot. "Well done Blaze." She cooed, finally starting to look to the scientist behind her. "Are you alright?"

"Wow! You're an amazing trainer!" He gushed, glad she'd chased away the punk that was threatening him. "Oh! I know, as thanks for saving me, I'll give you this!" He fished around in his pockets for a moment before finally grasping his prize. Well, her prize. "An experience share!" The scientist offered proudly. He was pushing it into her hands, refusing to take no for an answer.

"Um.. Thank you?" She wasn't sure what he was offering her. She'd played with one briefly back in Johto, but that didn't mean she knew what it did.

With a sly grin, he flipped a switch on the side of the device he'd handed her. "This turns it on and it lets your entire team power up at the same time, even when only your combusken is battling." The scientist was thrilled with this invention. "I helped design this one here. It's the current top of the line model."

"Oh wow" Ker was a little shocked. He was just giving her a top model of something he helped create? That was… incredibly generous. He could've made a lot of money off this thing, whatever it was. "Thank you." She offered him one of her fairly rare real smiles. It was rather kind of him to give her something so useful.

"A pleasure, Ma'am." He winked at her, "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to Devon and report in. If you find a shroomish would you bring it by and show me later?" The scientist asked, still on a mission to find his dream pokemon.

"H-have a safe trip?" Her head tilted a little to the side, confused by his sudden change in manner. She hadn't really expected him to call her so formally. Oh well, it meant she'd have a chance to get the rest of the way through the woods without much issue, and just Blaze could fight if he really wanted to. That was… convenient for all involved. Though it didn't really train the pokemon that were just piggybacking off whoever was fighting. Well, whatever. Keran tucked the quietly humming device into a pocket of her bag and made her way towards Rustboro. It wasn't too much farther now, and it was just about time to stop for a check up on all the pokemon on her current team. And to report in to the league back home. Figuring out it was Team Magma was a pretty good first step, she just needed to figure out what they were doing with whatever they were trying to steal from Devon. Okay, not really time to linger.

Keran stretched her legs as far as they would, sprinting along the trail towards the exit. She could see a flower shop just outside of the woods, and a small pond just off to the side of it. Looked like they were home free finally! At least, as close to home free as they could be when they'd just gotten to Rustboro. There had to be a faster way to get around than just running everywhere.

"I hear there's a gym here, we can tackle that after we check in with the league. Sound like a plan Blaze?" Ker offered to the pokemon next to her. If she didn't know how well this little guy could move, she'd be shocked he could keep up. She wasn't the fastest runner by far, but she was in shape and could keep up the pace for an extended period of time. Even longer if she was jogging instead of running all out trying to get somewhere quicker. Maybe there was a bike shop somewhere in this town she could get one of those. There had to be enough money in one of her accounts to purchase one. Or maybe there were Tauros she could take around as a mount or something. They were fairly fast… She shook herself of the idea and kept racing forward. First stop, the pokecenter.

It didn't take her long to reach her first goal. And even less time for Nurse Joy to take her pokemon back to look at them. Ker had told her she had some business to check on and asked if Nurse Joy wouldn't give them the works. Agreeing to this, Ker had just bought herself a few hours without having to worry too much about anything. So long as she didn't leave the center. Which was fine by her, she had computer work that needed to be done, and a chance to see who the champion of this region was at the moment.

"Video messaging system activate." She commanded, taking a secluded corner. Heaven forbid anyone walk in and catch her conduct business. "Lance, this is Elite Four Keran checking in from Hoenn. I received your earlier message about the rogue teams out for the destruction of the world and have proceeded to root out the cause of the issue. It appears Team Magma is behind the issues and I will be following their movements as closely as possible. I will keep you updated on any further progress." Keran paused for a moment, changing subjects in her head while attempting to make it obvious such was happening. "On a related yet different note, please send me information to contact the league here in Hoenn. Should I need assistance, I'd like to know they wouldn't be more than several minutes away rather than in a completely different region." She pushed the fake smile onto her face, "I will continue my assignment shortly. With no one knowing who I am, I believe taking the Hoenn Gym Challenge might be an interesting distraction while I attempt to transfer my team over." Keran added, letting her own league know of her intentions. She may not be an important member of the Elite Four just yet, but she still needed to let them know what she was doing most of the time. Just in case they needed her. Since she was out on assignment, that was doubtful. "Elite Four Keran signing out." Transmission ended. She let out a sigh of relief. She was finished with the important stuff, but there was still the matter of finding out who to contact among the local league. At least that would wait until Lance returned her message.

"Okay, I think I'm good here…" She mumbled, patting down her pockets, looking for her little transceiver. Ah, there it was, just under the second belt. Ker grinned, she was probably one of the only trainers that were allowed to carry two belts. One for her league pokemon, and one for everyday use, or this trip she was taking. No one needed to know what the second holder was there for. It wouldn't even be used until she had the chance to transfer her own pokemon from one region to the other. She'd always be salty about that. This was a massive pain and she had to travel from one city to the next on foot! What happened if she was called to yet more regions? At least this one was small enough it would really only take her a couple of days between each town if she took her time.

"Nurse Joy, are my pokemon ready?" She asked, leaning on the counter. She smiled when Nurse Joy walked between the swinging doors to check. Keran was fairly certain that her pokemon weren't ready, but it didn't hurt to ask. Maybe if she was lucky Lance would get back to her right away and she could get in contact with the Hoenn Champion.

"I'm sorry Keran, they'll still be a while yet. Would you like to take one of the center's pokemon out in the meantime?" Nurse Joy offered, gesturing to the pokeballs on the of the displayed pokemon were working in one part of the center, or playing in the back. The young pokemon could always use a firm hand to practice with.

"Oh, um, sure." She shook her head, "Which one needs the most help?" She asked, looking at the wall of available pokemon. This was something she was good at. Familiar with the process even. So long as the pokemon in question listened to her, she'd return it well trained and almost ready to help around the center.

"Her pokeball is on the second shelf from the top, three from the right." Joy wasn't quite able to leave her station, needing to go directly back to the back of the center, but she was able to direct anyone wanting to train the center's adoptable pokemon to those in most need.

Keran nodded, selecting the indicated pokeball. It felt empty. Either the pokemon was playing in the back of the center, or it was a type she wasn't wholly familiar with. Ker was willing to bet on the first one rather than the second. She may not train all the types, but she had to be at least partially familiar with them all. Enough so she could train her team to defend themselves against them. "Okay little pokemon, where are you.." She called, tapping the ball's function button twice. Once was to let the pokemon out, twice to call them back, and four times to release a pokemon into the wild. She'd only hit a ball four times once, and she intended to keep it that way.

"Alright, out you get." She murmured to the pokemon that was so willfully hiding from her. Upon release and data reformation, a rather odd duck stood before her. Or really, more of a psyduck. An angry one at that. "So, you're the one terrorizing all the other pokemon in the center?" Ker smirked, reaching out to rub the top of the psyduck's head. It, quite expectedly, moved away from the gesture. Psyduck did not like to be touched, it was it's own pokemon. No trainer would tame it. "You don't like humans right? Can you tell me why you don't like us?" Keran asked, sitting on the floor directly in front of the independent pokemon.

A short while later, and a long conversation, the psyduck was content to help out in the pokecenter. So long as it didn't have to help humans, it was a happy pokemon. Maybe even one day it might find a human that it liked. Until then, Keran would let it be. And possibly take her own team back on the road. That little chat with Psyduck had taken enough of her own time.

"Nurse Joy, I have to ask again, are my pokemon ready yet?" The silvery haired woman inquired. She really didn't have much more time to waste. Who knew what shady business was going on inside of Devon Corp, and there was a gym to battle.

"Just another five minutes or so. They're almost ready now." Nurse Joy smiled, having known that question was about to come up again.

"Thanks…" Ker quietly groaned. This was the longest treatment she'd had to sit through in ages. At least, maybe there was a chance Lance had returned her message? Keran looked at her transceiver, hoping, wishing, for a notification. But nothing. She'd just have to occupy herself with something else. It was about this time an older gentleman walked in. He was practically praised for the small act even. What in Arceus' name was that all about? She turned to one of the few people that didn't seem to be swooning over him and asked, "Who is he?"

"You don't know?" The person's head tilted a little, "That's the hero who cut down the tres to make a place for our city!" They gushed, "His expert use of the Cut HM is something most of us only ever dream of!"

"Say no more." She groaned again. Sure, there were plenty of trees and all the nature they could ever handle, but it was still hard to hear when someone cut down a ton of trees to make room for a city to develop. Pokemon lost their homes, sometimes even their native environments when humans cleared land to build more cities. Apparently she'd accidentally caught the guy's attention, as he was trying to catch hers. As soon as her head was turned towards him, he was pressing something in her hand.

"I'm sure you'll use this wisely." He said, smiling and going about his business.

"What the hell?" She whispered, looking at what he'd handed her. Looked like a T.M. Maybe it was the HM they'd just been talking about? Well, whatever it was, she'd figure it out later. Nurse Joy was holding the tray full of her pokeballs and offering her a way out of this circus.


	5. Chapter 4

Keran looked to the combusken to her side, "You ready for this?" She asked, waiting for his confirmation. Upon receiving a hesitant nod, the tall trainer pressed her hand to the door of the gym. It was time to take on this gym and give the young pokemon she was training a boost in confidence. They were strong fighters, there should be no reason for them to doubt themselves when it came to that. Even the very special Poochyena was powerful in his own right.

"Alright, we'll try you against the trainers in the gym first, and then, after a quick rest, we'll get to the leader." She explained, mostly for Blaze's benefit, but also a little to steady herself. It hadn't been that long since her league challenge, but there was always that insane surge of adrenaline, a touch of anxiety, and just the tiniest hint of fear that they didn't really have this as under control as she knew it was. "Aaaaand in we go." Deep breath in, and Blaze was through the doors, followed by Keran almost immediately.

It took all of three seconds to be assaulted by the smell of dirt and rocks, and a fairly well dressed gym leader. At least, she looked like a well educated gym leader. Or possibly a college student. Ker tilted her head, looking at the female in front of her. "You're the gym leader right?" She asked, mostly making sure her assumptions were correct.

"Yes, welcome to my gym!" She smiled wide, waving her arm to display the beauty of the gym she'd worked so hard to create. "Are you here to take the challenge?" Roxanne questioned, looking up at the rather tall pasty woman. "Your pokemon look a little scared to be here…" She was worried, wanting to make sure all the guests in her gym were well taken care of.

"Oh, he's fine. Just a little scared of his first gym battle." Ker smiled, gently patting the nervous Combusken on his head. "Yes, we're here for the gym challenge." She answered finally, looking the gym leader in the eye. This wasn't her first time, but it was still nerve wracking. Had she already thought that? Shoot…

"This is a lovely gym." Ker commented, trying to relax a little. It would help Blaze as much as her to be in a calm and collected mood. And quite possibly Seedot. It was a rock type gm, it was most likely Seedot was going to see parts of the gym battle. "Centered around archeology? Very unique" She complimented the other woman, smiling. There was no reason she couldn't be polite.

"Thank you. It's actually a bit of a museum, since we have the trainer's school here. I thought it would be a good idea to have somewhere they could come and learn about history first hand." Roxanne nodded, having a feeling this trainer would do just fine through her gym. She intentionally used weaker pokemon because most often newer trainers would start here, with her and she didn't have the heart to win every single battle that took place.

"That's a wonderful idea." Ker gave a half hearted smile. It really was a good idea, keep their minds and hands occupied at the same time. "Shall we get started?" She asked, one hand still on Blaze's head. He was ready to go, and so was she, and most likely, so was Seedot. Poochyena would be sitting this one out. Getting the nod from Roxanne, Keran watched the gym leader retreat, enjoying her view. Quite the effect that skirt gave the other woman…

"Okay Blaze, you don't have typing on your side, so you're going to have to work extra hard. Either one hit the other pokemon, or avoid all their attacks. If at any point you start getting worried, tap out. Seedot has typing on his side, and he's almost as good as you are." That was it for the pep talk. She wasn't good at it, but Blaze seemed fired up all the same. Maybe it was a good thing he knew what she meant with her 'words of encouragement.'

First up was a standard gym trainer. It looked like she could have easily avoided them, but that wasn't her plan. She wanted Blaze and Seedot to have the experience before they battled Roxanne. Blaze was the first out of his pokeball, mainly in that he hadn't been in it when they entered, so he was first into battle.

Blaze looked back to his trainer, a little nervous. This was a big moment for him and he didn't want to blow it. Sure, she wouldn't look at him like he was a failure, but that didn't mean he wouldn't think of himself as one. Even if he didn't have a type advantage, whatever that was, he still wanted to make Keran proud. It was with a claw in his beak, being nibbled on, that he entered the first battle, with a rock type pokemon being released to fight against him.

"Double Kick!" She called, encouraging her pokemon. He'd be fine. Most of these pokemon were intended to be weaker and Keran knew it.

"!" He jumped, turning the motion into his attack. First one foot landed, then the other. Blaze grinned, victorious. He knew he deserved the praise she always gave him. Maybe he really was a good pokemon after all! The other two didn't know what they were talking about.

"Well done Blaze." Ker grinned, actually meaning it. Their hard work was paying off big time and even the trainers inside the gym had to acknowledge it. "Let's go off to the next trainer. You have this down pat." Another ruffle of his feathers, a sign of her praise for him. He was a strong fighter, even if he didn't have the confidence in himself just yet. It would come.

Still grinning, they approached the next trainer. There was no real need to rest between fights, Blaze had done so admirably the first time, it looked like he was going to do well through the entire gym.

"'Sken!" He chirped, literally jumping for joy. He was so distracted by their victory that he didn't even realize the next pokemon being released for another battle. It wasn't until she called the same move again that Blaze even realized they were in the middle of a battle. He chirped again, jumping to attempt to land a double kick. Thankfully, it worked again. Blaze had been so surprised by the entire thing he'd not had enough time to aim properly. It did result in a glancing blow, but was enough knock out the pokemon he was battling against.

"Again, well done Blaze." She praised him, meaning every word of it. Keran did stop for a moment to consider if the praise was going to his head and distracting him. He seemed a little out of it during that last encounter. "Dial it back just a little, keep your head in the game." Ker cautioned as they walked. They'd never take the next battle if he was too busy being proud of himself.

The last trainer of the gym was waiting for them, she was ready with her pokemon and wearing a determined expression. Surely she knew that she wasn't going to win this battle, not with how easily Blaze had taken out the others, but she was there, none the less waiting and ready to take them on with all of her skill.

"You've got this Blaze, just keep your head in the game and we won't even need to rest before we get to the gym leader." She encouraged, ruffling his feathers one last time before stepping back for him to do his thing. He knew what move she was going to call, he knew what to do. She'd remain entirely silent through this battle. Of course, during the battle with the leader, that was an entirely different story. This time, she was content to sit back and let Blaze have fun with it.

It didn't take Blaze long either, he'd managed to pull it together and one hit the competition. Just like they'd planned. Blaze was a powerful pokemon, maybe he had the potential to go through the league challenge. Maybe he'd make the transition into her league pokemon and fight alongside of Pikachu… The thought made her smile just a little. Maybe one day, but not today. "You ready to take on the last battle? It's all or nothing this round." Hearing his squeak of confirmation, Ker cracked her fingers and started towards the gym leader. This would be the final battle for this gym. She knew she could always re-challenge this place if they lost, but Blaze could find that out later. No matter how this turned out, she was proud of the combusken. He was doing a fine job.

"You've defeated all the trainers in the gym. Well done!" Roxanne applauded, completely sincere in the feeling. It was hard to believe someone could come through and wipe out all the pokemon in her gym with so little effort, but it wasn't the first time this had happened. She doubted it would be the last. Roxanne was just glad to have the chance to meet such a strong trainer and the pokemon they raised. It was an honor. "Would you like a few minutes to rest before our battle?" She was worried about the combusken that was doing all the fighting. It was fairly rare to see one pokemon doing it.

Keran looked to the faithful pokemon to her side. "Would you like a break?" She asked, more willing to ask Blaze than assume he was fine. Both parties would appreciate it more if she asked rather than just forced him forward. He shook his head and stepped into the ring. He wanted to do this. "Looks like we're barreling through. Blaze is filled with DETERMINATION." Ker smirked, waiting for the other woman to release her pokemon and the battle to begin. It was only a matter of seconds before a geodude was sitting there, looking up at Blaze, waiting for the first move to be called.

"Double kick!" She called, watching Blaze jump into action.

"Geodude use Rock Tomb!" Roxanne called in response, watching the battle unfold, her next pokeball at the ready.

Blaze jumped forward, managing to land his blow right between the opposing geodude's eyes. He was thankful that the other pokemon was made of rock, having not meant to hurt the other in the face. It was enough to knock Geodude out though, and a nosepass was released immediately.

"Keep it up Blaze, don't slow down. Double Kick again." Keran called, not giving him a chance to stop and revel in his momentary victory. The last pokemon was out and they needed to win this battle.

"Nosepass, use Rock Tomb!" Roxanne responded, watching as her pokemon managed to avoid the devastating attack from the combusken facing them. She did flinch a little when neither attack landed. And again when another call for Double Kick, which did land this time. It looked a little rocky for a moment, but Nosepass did faint. Roxanne gave a grim smile, calling back her pokemon. "Well done. You've bested this gym."

"Good job Blaze. Relax now." Keran cautioned, walking towards the gym leader that was now congratulating them. "You fought hard. It was a pleasure battling against you." Ker equally complimented, keeping an eye on her pokemon. She was positive he wasn't on a warpath, but she wanted to make sure he wasn't about to go off and do something stupid.

"To symbolize your victory here, I'd like you to have this badge." Roxanne started, a familiar yet always thrilling speech. "The boulder badge, and please accept this T.M. as part of your winnings. A gift from me. It contains Rock Tomb, it's really one of my favorite rock type moves." She smiled, holding out the disc and the significantly smaller badge. "Let the world know you're on your way to challenging the league here in Hoenn!"

Ker tried not to wince, realizing she'd entered this battle under false pretenses. Maybe she should tell Roxanne who she was… "T-thank you." She rubbed the back of her neck, not moving to accept the badge or the T.M. "I'm sorry, I should've told you. I'm a member of the Elite Four in Johto." She admitted, figuring it was the right thing to do. "I'm here on a bit of League business, and thought I'd check out your gym while I was at it. You're doing really well here." Keran tried to smile, very obviously not meaning it.

"Oh… Are you doing gym inspections?" Roxanne tilted her head, looking at the taller woman. That would make sense, the different leagues kept one another in check. "Or are you here about that nasty Team Magma?" She asked, curious. If it was a gym inspection, she'd need to make sure she could show the pasty woman around, but if it was for Team Magma… Well she wanted to help in any way she could.

"Ah. Not a gym inspection, if you're due, I have no idea." She shrugged. "I'm here to investigate the Team Magma plot. Seems there's almost always someone trying to resurrect ancient yet powerful pokemon and trying to destroy the world." Keran sighed. She'd gotten swept up in the plot to destroy the world back in Johto, at least it wasn't her primary function to get rid of it back then. Just this time, and even then it was only because she was already here and it was the responsibility of the league to take care of this kind of thing. No ordinary trainer should be swept into these messes.

"Would you happen to know anything?" She asked, looking at the much shorter gym leader. It was a bit of a shot in the dark, but she obviously knew something about something. "Any information you could provide would be helpful." Ker suggested.

Roxanne opened her mouth to start replying just as the door slammed open and a harried scientist pushed his way through.

"What's going on?" Keran demanded, rushing over to him.

"Someone broke into Devon Corp. and stole some very important parts! Please, we need help getting them back!" He rushed, needing a strong trainer to help them. They'd been completely overwhelmed with the thief's pokemon.

"Roxanne, stay here and keep him safe. I'm going after the thief." Keran stated, sprinting out the door. A familiar face was more useful for keeping the calm than a stranger. It also happened to free her up to chase after the scum who would steal from a business.


	6. Chapter 5

It took her all of 45 seconds to figure out where the culprits had rushed off to, and another two minutes to catch up with them. Keran didn't particularly enjoy chasing down low lifes, but she didn't have much of a choice with this one. She was the authority figure here, even if she was new to the job. "Hold it!" She called, attempting to add a threatening tone to her voice.

The grunt cackled, stuffing his pilfered goods into the bag on his back. He wouldn't give these up for anything! Even that terrifying sounding woman. "Not a chance! I'm going to make the boss proud!" He ducked inside a tunnel, grabbing a wingull along the way. Now he had a hostage to negotiate his way out, and as soon as he cleared the tunnel, he was home free! Boss Maxie would be so proud of him. He might even get a promotion! 2nd best level E grunt! He could taste the sweet sweet praise already~

Keran growled, enraged at the felon that was running from her. She'd gotten there just in time to see him steal a poor old man's wingull and dash into a cave. This was soooo not what she'd signed up for. "Sir, stay out here and wait. I'll get your wingull back to you safe and sound in just a few minutes." She attempted to reassure him, hoping he'd listen. She knew what she was doing, so he should just listen to her.

Not waiting to see if he would actually listen, she ran in right after the grunt, chasing him to the dead end in the middle of the tunnel. "You're not getting away now" She growled, her posture having turned into something a lot more threatening than a fresh faced trainer. She'd been down this road before and she knew how to handle these types of jerks. They didn't care a thing about their pokemon, it was just about their own goals.

"Tch." He spat, realizing he was backed into a corner. "I don't care how scary you are, you ain't getting these parts back, or this wingull." To emphasize his point, he threw his pokeball, releasing a poochyena to battle. "Go!"

"Blaze, double kick!" Keran stood aside, letting Blaze get a running jump at this poochyena. It was all the guy had on him, and she obviously had the upperhand here. Not only did his attack land, it was a critical. It knocked their opponent out in one shot. "Good, now back down." She called, advancing to the now suddenly scared grunt.

"I told you you're not getting away. Now hand over the parts and release that poor man's wingull." Keran threatened, getting into his face. Clearly this grunt had no idea who he was dealing with. If Blaze was able to win a battle with just one blow, this grunt should be terrified of the power of pokemon she traveled with.

"F-fine! Just don't tell my boss!" He threw his hands up in defeat. The wingull he'd stolen just moments ago rushed away from him, returning to it's owner. One hand in the air, he reached for his shoulder bag, retrieving the stolen parts. "Here, you can keep the stupid things. We'll find another way." He huffed, holding the out to her.

Keran kept her eyes on the grunt, spotting the freed wingull in her peripheral. She reached out to take the offending parts, managing to wrap her fingers around them when he shoved her aside and rushed out of the tunnel.

He may not have had the ability to escape her, but there was no way he was going to get caught up going to jail. Maxie would have his hide, and he'd be kicked out of Team Magma for sure! He'd already catch a lot of flak for deserting the situation and not getting the parts, but what could he do? That pasty woman was really terrifying when she was mad!

She winced, having been pushed into the rather rocky wall. It hurt more than she would ever admit to anyone, but that wasn't her concern. There was someone approaching and she couldn't look like she'd just gotten beat up. Really, she'd just gotten angry and threatened a poor guy until he ran away and gave back what he'd stolen.

"Are you okay?" She asked, standing up straight, looking directly at the older man who'd come in to check on her. "Did he hurt you on the way back out?"

"Thank you so much! You saved my darling Peeko!" He pulled Keran into a tight embrace. "If you ever need a ride anywhere on the oceans, please come by my house! Peeko and I would love to help you out!" Mr. Briney smiled wide, releasing her from his shockingly strong grip. There was no way he was going to let this debt go unpaid. She was just too kind!

"But you are okay?" She asked, looking at him a little incredulous. "Please, it's not that big a deal. Dealing with these guys is my job. I'm just glad you and Peeko are together again." Keran nodded, truly glad to see the two reunited.

"We're fine. Thank you again Young Lady." He hugged her again, taking off with Peeko. They had some bonding to resume. His darling Peeko had to be in shock. He needed to comfort the poor girl.

Okay. Well that guy was weird, but then, who in this world wasn't a little weird? Keran sighed, walking out of the cave. Somewhere in the back of her mind she noted the the cave was really a tunnel, but it wasn't anywhere near an important thought to her at that moment in time. She was far more concerned with something entirely different. Team Magma was quickly turning into a problem. They were before, but it was something she could ignore for a little while.

As she exited the cave, the scientist she'd helped in the woods greeted her. "Thank you again!" He assaulted her, grabbing his savior's hand. "Come with me, Mr. Stone wants to meet you." He gushed, dragging her along. Mr. Stone really did want to meet this extremely helpful young lady, and she did have the parts that were just stolen from their building. It was only right that she manage to get them back.

"Uh.. Okay?" She was confused. It didn't look like she was getting out of this, but she could at least take her hand back. And she did, snatching it back quickly. He was pushy, but at least he understood that small decency.

It didn't take them long to reach the Devon building, and even less time to reach the top floor. And that was climbing the stairs of all things.

"Okay, wait here just a minute, I'll tell Mr. Stone you're here." He had stopped entirely, blocking Keran's path to the director. He was certain she could easily shove him aside, especially after the way she handled the thief that was so keen on throwing a wrench in their plans.

The scientist approached Mr. Stone's desk, smiling at him. "Sir, the young woman who recovered the stolen items is here."

"Good good. Send her over." He waved, chair turned around and facing the window to the rear of the desk. This girl, he had a feeling about her. But first, he needed to talk to her.

"This way, this way. Mr. Stone is ready to see you." He urged, trying to pull Keran towards his boss. Maybe she'd become a co-worker. Mr. Stone was generous like that… Arceus knew he wouldn't mind the chance to interact with such a pretty woman daily.

"Right, thanks." She brushed the scientist off. Ker wanted nothing to do with the whimpering man, not in the way he thought he had a chance with her. "Please excuse me." Green eyes snapped away from the scientist to be directed at the back of the chair. This was something involving business, there was no reason for another party.

"Thank you Rodger, if you'd please excuse us." Mr. Stone dismissed the scientist. Rodger was lucky he wasn't being fired. He'd almost been robbed in the woods just outside of town, and then he was actually robbed while inside the building.

"O-oh. Okay. Thank you Sir." He bowed, quickly exiting the office.

"Right then." He turned around, facing the young woman that had been so kind to rescue his pilfered items. "Please, have a seat Ma'am. Someone will be in momentarily to bring you something to drink." Mr. Stone gestured to the chair just in front of his desk. He waited a moment for her to be seated. "I'd like to thank you for recovering those parts. As it were, they're fairly important to a project in Slateport." He started.

Keran started reaching into her bag to fish out the parts she'd just gotten back. "I have them right here." Her fingers wrapped around the package. All it took was a gentle tug and it was sitting in her lap. "Here you are Sir." Ker deposited it on his desk. Returning the items. She was, in theory, done here now.

"Ah, thank you again. I'd like to ask a couple of favors of you. I'm sure it's on your way, but I'd still like to compensate you for the trouble." He began again, making no move to tuck the package anywhere. "But first, it's lovely to meet you. I'm Joseph Stone. Please, call me Joe." He smirked, "What may I call you?"

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Stone." She gave him her patented fake smile. "I'm Keran, of the Johto Pokemon League." At least he would know he wasn't dealing with an amature. This was technically her job.

"You must be the new member my son was talking about." Mr. Stone continued to smile, truly happy to have met her. "I see Johto's not slacking in their selections. You're a very accomplished trainer." He complimented. "And you used a combusken to fend off the young man who stole those parts? Why a low level pokemon like him?" Mr. Stone questioned, shocked a member of the Elite Four would carry around a young pokemon rather than their established powerful team.

"Thank you Sir." She bowed her head in acceptance of his compliments. "Blaze isn't quite as low level as you'd think Mr. Stone. I'm traveling with him because he wants to be a strong pokemon. I also can't seem to transfer my league team over here just yet. I need to speak with a young lady named Lanette?" She sounded a bit confused. Mostly in that she was making sure this was accurate information. If he had a son in the local league, then he would most certainly know about transfering pokemon from one region to another.

"Ah. You're training a wonderful pokemon." He smiled wide, "Yes, Miss Lanette would be who you should talk to about transferring your pokemon. She's completely designed the holding system here in Hoenn." Mr. Stone nodded, confirming her information. "I'll give her a call once we're done and let her know you're on your way. Incidentally, my favor does happen to be on your way. My son should be in Dewford right now, looking for more rare stones. Would you be so kind to take this letter to him for me?" He asked, pushing an envelope towards Keran. "And taking those parts to Capt. Stern in Slateport? It's a bit of a roundabout way to get to Fallarbor, but right now, it's the only way. We were working on a tunnel from here to Verdanturf, but it was harming the whismur that live in the area and we were forced to stop."

"Since it's on my way, how could I possibly say no?" She smiled, a little irritated this trip was going to take so long. At least she knew they couldn't possibly be making this trip any harder on her than it already was. Hell, Mr. Stone was probably about to arrange the trip between the three cities. "Letter to your son, parts to Capt. Stern."

"Yes yes!" He continued to smile. "May I borrow your pokenav for just a few moments?" Mr. Stone asked, holding out his hand for the device. Surely she would hand it to him. And of course, she did. He tapped a few buttons, plugged something into it, and tapped a few more buttons. After he removed the device and handed it back to her. "There you are, completely updated to contain the latest apps and keep you up to date with the news and such."

"Um, thank you again Mr. Stone." She was a little confused, but took back her device. All this technology at their fingertips, and they still hadn't managed to come up with a way to combine a phone, pokenav, and a pokedex in a compact manner yet.

"It also includes a communication feature. It's in its experimental stages right now and can't do two way speech yet, but it will allow you to deliver your voice messages in real time. Provided the recipient isn't otherwise occupied." He explained, having caught her look of confusion. "Of course, this isn't what I was going to compensate you with." Mr Stone didn't want her to think for a second he expected to give her so little for such tasks.

"Mr. Stone, I couldn't possibly accept anything more. I'm quite literally, just doing my job." She insisted, not entirely sure if she should even consider taking payment for this.

"Oh, but I insist." His tone seemed jovial. "An all expense paid trip on the S.S. Anne for two. And of course, treatment befitting a luminary such as yourself. Everyone will bow to your every whim." The way he spoke of it, he wouldn't take no for an answer. "You deserve to relax every now and then, and a cruise is a wonderful way to manage that. Of course, all your pokemon are welcome, and if you'd like the entire ship to yourself and your guest, just say the word." Truly, the cruise liner was at his beck and call. This gesture was nothing to him. So long as she was able to enjoy it and herself.

"I couldn't possibly accept that Mr. Stone!" She was shocked he'd offer something so lavish so freely. She was acting like a Delibird for him! There was no reason for him to go out of his way to do something like this for her! "Please, why don't you donate the money you'd spend on this trip to charity?" She suggested, hoping he would take her up on that one.

"It's too late Keran, the tickets are already here." He grinned, placing them on top of the envelope for his son. "This really isn't costing me a penny, and I won't take no for an answer. You don't have to go on a cruise now, but you should at least consider it soon." As soon as he'd finished a beep sounded on an intercom.

"Mr. Stone, your next appointment is here." Said the voice, crackling through the poor quality of the intercom.

"If you'll please excuse me Keran, it seems work calls again. I hope you have a safe trip." He smiled again, not giving her a chance to deny his offer again. "Dorris will show you the exit. And please, you're always welcome here at Devon."

Ker sighed, collecting the items, some forced, some willingly taken. She may have been being dismissed, but she wouldn't find it rude. A bit forceful perhaps, but not rude. Too bad she didn't know who to bring with her on this unwanted cruise. It could be fun if she were ever in the mood for it...


	7. Chapter 6

Keran sighed, having found Dorris on her way out. The kind woman told her to speak with the gentleman on Route 104, just outside of Petalburg. Apparently she'd skipped right past the guy's home while she was rushing through. At least there was a chance she'd know the guy. Dorris spoke of him having a wingull named Peeko. The name sounded vaguely familiar, which was a good sign. After thanking the sweet woman, Keran departed the building and was promptly assaulted by her faux rival.

"Hey, Keran! How's your Pokédex? Completed any entries yet? Mine pretty much rules. I went on a Pokémon-catching frenzy in Petalburg Woods until I ran out of Poké Balls! Oh, yeah. I passed by Mr. Briney in Petalburg Woods. I bet he was on his way home to his cottage on Route 104 I guess you wouldn't know, since you just moved here and all, but they say that old guy used to be an amazing sailor!" He gushed, thrilled to see her again. "Did you catch a ton of pokemon too?" Brendan asked, eyes alight with the excitement of the competition.

"Oh, hey Brendan." She was distracted, not really paying attention to the overly exuberant boy. "Mmm? My dex is full." Keran said offhandedly, biting back a yawn. She needed to get Blaze checked out and off on this trip to Dewford and Slateport. The sooner that happened, the sooner she could get her league team back, and deal with the Team Magma situation.

"Is something wrong? Keran, are you okay?" He asked, suddenly worried about her. It barely registered with him that she'd said her dex was full. There was only 5 trainers with a full dex in any region, minus the pokemon professors. No way Keran could be one of them. She was just starting out on a journey, just like him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just busy. Mr. Stone just sent me out on a task, and I've got le-" Keran suddenly realized who she was talking to. "I've got business to worry about." She offered him a fake smile, certain that he'd see right through her.

"Mr. Stone? The CEO of Devon Corp? How do you know Mr. Stone?" He asked, not touching on the business she'd mentioned.

"I recovered some stolen parts for him, he wanted to meet me in person." Ker shrugged, starting to walk again. She really did need to get on her way. There was no way she was going to be forced to accept such an extravagant gift and not get the task done quickly. "He asked me to deliver a letter for him, and take the pilfered goods to Slateport."

"That sounds important! Why would he ask a new trainer to do something so important for him?" Brendan wondered aloud, walking along with her. They'd only just met up again, he wanted to keep in touch.

"Mmm.." She avoided the question, "I need to get Blaze checked out before I go. We were just at the gym before the incident." Keran was making a beeline for the Pokecenter at the start of the town.

"You're avoiding it. Why did he ask you to deliver a letter?" He pestered, grinning from ear to ear. This was his friend, of course he wanted to know everything!

"I can't really tell you Brendan." She frowned a little, completely honest in the statement. His father had asked her not to burst his bubble, and of course there was the matter of her league business. For some reason, she'd wanted to keep it quiet.

"Aww, why not? I promise I won't think any different of you!" That'd already been established when he'd walked in on her and her father talking back in Petalburg. She'd made it very clear he had no chance with her. So much for that little crush.

"I can't tell you Brendan for many reasons. The first of which, would be that your father asked me not to." She looked at him, raising a single eyebrow. "Of course, there's also the fact that my employer and Mr. Stone asked me to keep quiet about most of what I'm doing." It was cold, rude, and not very nice. Avoidance didn't seem to be working, so shutting it down must have been the only logical course of action.

Brendan frowned, worried about his friend. "Dad asked you not to tell me something?" That was the worst of it all. How could his dad keep stuff from him when it came to other people? "Wait, you said your pokedex was full. How is that possible? And what business are you doing?" He decided to try another line of questioning.

"He asked me not to tell you about my business. Yes, my pokedex is full. It contains entries for every type of pokemon known in all regions." Keran continued to attempt to shut it down. "I'm a pokemon breeder, not a pokemon trainer. I'm allowed up to two ditto when I choose my location to settle down and create a village." That was technically true. But she did have quite a few other things to get done before she got around to choosing a location. She'd most likely settle down near a Pokemon Daycare, or a trainer's school. Most likely. Anything was possible when it came to location. So many ideal spots…

"Wow… So you aren't a new trainer at all?" He looked up at her in awe. He'd been thinking she was just starting out like he was. "Is that why Dad asked you not to tell me? Because we're the same age?" He sounded a little defeated. Here was Keran, an accomplished trainer and registered breeder. And she was apparently good enough that she was allowed more than one ditto for her work. And then, there he was. Just starting out and not an accomplishment to his name. Boy, that was disappointing.

"Pretty much. We didn't want to discourage you. You've got potential to be great. Where I'm at, it's very rare for anyone to get there this young. If I can do it, so can you." Gah! Why was she encouraging him? Was it because he looked so dejected? Or was it because she didn't want to hurt Professor Birch's feelings? "Look, you can't possibly compare the two of us. I grew up in a completely different region with an entirely different set of goal than you." Keran continued, entirely sincere in the act. "The only reason, and I mean it, the only reason, that I'm where I'm at now." A pause for wording. "Is because I got swept up into some nonsense, and managed to hold my own against it, with the help of my pokemon. That's it. If I hadn't been discovered the way I was, I'd still be struggling to make a name for myself. I'd probably be back in Johto still rather than here in Hoenn."

"You're not kidding.." He was still in awe. She was being completely honest with him. Well, not completely, just as honest as she could be. That was still something though. "What did you get caught up in that was so big?" Brendan asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

"Thaaat I can't answer." She smiled again, back to the fake ones. "On official orders of the Johto Pokemon League." And it was still true. Again with all the honesty. This was just odd. Keran reached to grab the handle of the Pokecenter's doors, only to be stopped by Brendan having reached it first. "Thank you." She nodded, proceeding through at his offer.

"Nurse Jo-" She blinked, that wasn't Nurse Joy. What was going on?

"Hello!" She called cheerfully, "Nurse Joy is my mother, I'm filling in for her." She smiled, just as friendly as her mother. "I'm Nurse Cerene. Or Nurse Joy for ease~" Jocelyne giggled, her smile growing wider. "Please, allow me to take care of you and your pokemon" Her fairly tan hands were holding out a tray, waiting for the two trainers to deposit their pokemon onto it.

"Well, okay then." Ker shrugged, taking the three balls on her belt loop off to rest gently in the tray. Somewhere in the back of her mind something was hinting at catching a few more pokemon. Having a well rounded team was probably a really good idea. "Brendan, if you need anything, Nurse Cerene seems more than able to help you with it. I need to go make a few calls." She pointed a thumb over her shoulder to the areas reserved for businessmen and women. Her League clearance level also enabled her to use the more secluded ones.

Reading the registry on her screen, Cerene piped up, "We'll have your pokemon back to you in no time Elite Four Keran." This was her first day, she wanted to get everything right!

Keran winced, visibly flinching when her official title was called out. Shoot. She was ratted out. "Shhhh. Don't call me that. I'm supposed to be under cover!" She responded, trying her very best not to panic. That was the real reason she was allowed two ditto. One was her title as a registered breeder, the other was for league fights, though she was allowed to use both however she saw fit.

"Elite Four?" He whispered, dumbfounded. She'd just gotten through telling him she wasn't that big a deal, but she was a member of the elite four?! "You're an Elite Four member? You… So that's who your boss is.." He sighed, a little defeated again. Maybe she was right, this was just because she'd gotten swept up in something way bigger than herself. Maybe, if he was lucky, something similar would happen to him too!

"Y-yeah" She winced again, not really willing to admit it. "Newest member of the Johto League. I'm here on official business, though it turns out that was just a coincidence. My Champion seems to be a little air headed." She frowned, shaking her head. "And that's it. I can't, and won't say any more." Keran turned around, promptly walking away from Brendan. He was good at getting her to say things she shouldn't.

She was busily ignoring those caught in the wake of her departure, yanking open doors to private areas that required very high clearance levels, when she collided with another body. "Excuse me" She blurted, not really seeing who she'd bumped into. It only took her a moment to realize, she'd wound her way into the league only rooms. She had the clearance to be here, but that also meant that the person she'd run herself into did too.

"Pardon me Ma'am." A soothing voice returned, holding the door for her. "After you?" He offered, smiling.

"Thank you." She nodded her head in concession, taking the three steps it took to get them into the room. "I'm really sorry about running into you like that. Please, forgive me." Ker blushed a little, finally getting a good look at the guy she'd run into. Tall, pale, ice blue hair. Strikingly similar to the hottie she's spotted just outside of Petalburg, and even more so to Mr. Stone. Probably the same guy she'd been staring at on route 104.

"No need. It was my fault for not saying something earlier. I saw you rushing back here, and said nothing." He chuckled a little, looking at her. Silvery hair, brilliantly green eyes, and just as pasty as he was. This must be the member of the Johto League that Lance had been speaking of. "You must be Keran. It's a pleasure to meet you." Steven smiled, holding out his hand.

He knew who she was? Then Lance was actually doing his job. Ker tried to keep her face from puckering in irritation. She should've known Lance would do this to her. Or was it her own fault for not checking her emails more often? "The pleasure's all mine." She took his hand, noting how smooth his skin was. An odd trait for a trainer. "I'm sorry I don't know who you are though." She continued, having shook and released his hand. He was wearing an interesting amount of jewelry, and most of it looked to be metals or rare stones.

"Forgive me, I forgot my manners. I'm Steven Stone, current Champion of Hoenn." He smiled, bowing as he introduced himself. "I stopped in town for a bit of a break before returning to Dewford and its delightful cave." Steven righted himself, nothing but smiles.


End file.
